Which features do you use on your altimeter watch?

[Dr_Crash]

Hi,

 

I'm looking at buying an altimeter watch. I also want a HR monitor, and would like to avoid the "one watch per wrist" look. And I don't necessarily want to pay for features creep. With this in mind, I've been looking at the Suunto X3HR which has dead simple altimeter features (as in just show me the altitude and that's it) and no fancy weather functions. I don't care for a compass at all by the way (on the watch, that is). But I wonder which of the altimeter features you'd consider essential / great to have, and why; answers from people who've actually used them rather than lusted at them in a brochure and fantasized about their uses are better (though all answers are welcome, and I belong to the second category for a lot of things). Altitude alarm (nice in a whiteout)? Real-time vertical info? Whatever?

 

drC

[ivan]

once a red-neck pulled a gun on me while hiking in what i thought was shenendoah national park...his point was i was on his land, and i didn't have a point, just a bad joke about not wanting to be dressed up like a deer near him. when the 'neck just spat a filthy wad of dip out and fingered his piece, i used the nifty digital compass feature on my suunuto vector to 'swack back to babylon

[fear]

Boy.... You shure got a purty mouth.....

 

-Fear

[Rainier_Wolfscastle]

I like the logbook function on the Suunto Vector. Start it at the beginning of the adventure and stop it at the end. Shows total vert, laps, time etc. Great for ski touring. Rarely use the compass, but it's only a few bucks more than the no compass version (altimax)

[marylou]

I've always just used the alti, the alarm clock, and the clock on my altis.

 

The plain old alti function is the shizzle, everything else is just a feature I don't want.

[Blakej]

anyone found a watch with a nice loud alarm. Never can wake up to mine and end up waking up either scrambling to move or saying screw it I'll try tomarrow.

[blue_morph]

Altimeter and Barometer are essential. Electronic compasses aren't much good. The alarm on every watch I've tried is so quiet that they never wake me unless there is no wind.

[tomtom]

I look at the altimeter for altitude and the watch for time.

[PaulB]

I have an Altimax and the features I use depends on what I'm doing.

 

In the winter, I use the log book to track my accumulated ascent/descent, number of runs, etc. when ski touring. Hardly ever look at the actual altitude.

 

In the summer when I'm alpine climbing I calibrate the altitude as often as is practical, so that it's accurate if/when I need it, but I hardly ever use the logbook.

 

When I'm camping at a fixed location for more than one night, I use the barometer to track weather changes.

 

I've never used the altitude alarm, and only occasionly make use of the differential altitude or pressure feature. The stopwatch is nice to have but hardly ever gets used... same for the countdown timer. The alarm clock is useful, but the alarm is too quiet. I usually have to set all three alarms 1 minute apart to make sure I hear them.

[PaulB]

anyone found a watch with a nice loud alarm.

My Timex Ironman (it's about 10 years old) has a great alarm. It's loud and annoying enough to wake me from all but the deepest sleep.

[shepherdsond]

I currently have an altimax. Apart from using altitude for navigation (essential)I find the rate of climb (ft/hour) very useful for guaging my performance and making ETA calculations and for speed ascents. I also use the log book function for daily accumulated feet climbed (skiing or climbing) or descended (e.g. lift skiing). I did have a vector (stolen) and did not use the compass much but would still get it again by choice (why not?). Never used the altitude alarm. I might use more functions if I could remember how to use the damn thing - this to me is the biggest drawback of all these watches. I was in the Alps this winter and had to go to a gear shop to find out how to convert from feet to meters! As others have said the alarm is not loud enough (cannot hear inside sleeping bag). I do sometimes use it as a barometer.

[Dru]

i don't even use a watch. i can tell what time it is from the sun in the sky, and i can tell how high i am without needing some gizmo to do it for me.

[JoshK]

i don't even use a watch. i can tell what time it is from the sun in the sky, and i can tell how high i am without needing some gizmo to do it for me.

 

Yes, cause this strategy works wonders in a white out.

[lummox]

i use the altimeter and barometer and the time.

as far as heart rate. i have a heart rate monitor and i used it to get familiar with how i feel and what my heart rate was. then i didnt feel like using it anymore. so i dont.

[Dru]

i don't even use a watch. i can tell what time it is from the sun in the sky, and i can tell how high i am without needing some gizmo to do it for me.

 

Yes, cause this strategy works wonders in a white out.

 

in a whiteout, i become the whiteout, and experience the zen of the moment for as long as it lasts.